An Online Friend In Need
by AlexanderCastle
Summary: S4 AU. Kate and Rick are best friends on a popular chat site, only neither of them have any idea that it's their partner they are talking to. When N1Detective spills her secrets to StoryWeaver, and he spills his to her in return, will it give the partners the shove they need to finally admit their secrets, and possibly feelings, to each other face-to-face?
1. Chapter 1

**I'll be blunt with you. I have absolutely no idea where the inspiration for this story came from, other than the fact that it just randomly came to me when I was visiting my grandfather in hospital the other day (long story, but don't worry, he's absolutely fine).**

**So this is set early Season 4, after Rise but before Cops and Robbers.**

**StoryWeaver is Rick, N1Detective is Kate, and LeafOnTheWind, SeaBorne, and AFScience are OCs.**

* * *

**_StoryWeaver has signed in._**

_StoryWeaver: Hi all._

_LeafOnTheWind: Hi Story. Good to see you._

_SeaBorne: Hey Story!_

_AFScience: I was starting to wonder if you were coming on at all tonight, Story._

_StoryWeaver: *Rubs the back of his neck nervously* Yeah, sorry about that. I had some writing to do. My publisher's breathing down the back of my neck right now to get these chapters finished and submitted to her._

_LeafOnTheWind: No worries. How is the novel going, anyway?_

_StoryWeaver: Slowly._

_LeafOnTheWind: Still procrastinating those last thousand words, huh?_

_StoryWeaver: Yeah, you could say that._

**_N1Detective has signed in._**

_StoryWeaver: Hey N1._

_N1Detective: Hi, Story. Hey, listen. I could use your help with something. Can we talk in private please?_

_StoryWeaver: Sure, whatever you need._

**_StoryWeaver has opened Private Chat._**

**_StoryWeaver has entered StoryWeaver's Private Chat._**

**_N1Detective has entered StoryWeaver's Private Chat._**

_StoryWeaver: So, N1, what seems to be the problem?_

_N1Detective: I need your advice. I've done something that I know would hurt my partner, and best friend, if he found out about it. But I know that if I keep it to myself for much longer, it's going to come out without me meaning it to and he'll be even more hurt by it. What should I do?_

_StoryWeaver: Well, I think the first thing you should do is tell me what happened._

_N1Detective: There was a shooting a few months ago, and I was hit in the chest. I lost a lot of blood, __blacked-out more times than I can count on the way to the hospital__, and my (now-ex) boyfriend had to perform surgery to remove the bullet._

_StoryWeaver: I'm sorry to hear that. Going through that kind of thing can't have been very easy._

_N1Detective: You're right on so many levels. Anyway, mind if I continue with the story?_

_StoryWeaver: Sorry. Of course, go ahead._

_N1Detective: So the day after the surgery, my partner comes in, with flowers, and the two of us talk for a bit. After a while, he asks how much I remember. And I lie to his face. I tell him that I don't remember a thing…_

_StoryWeaver: I'm sorry, but I'm still not seeing what you really need my advice for._

_N1Detective: I lied to him, Story. He told me he loved me as I lost consciousness for the first time after being shot, and the first thing I did when he asked me what I remembered was lie to his face and tell him that I remembered absolutely nothing when in fact I remember the whole thing clear as day._

_StoryWeaver: Wow, N1. For someone who chooses her words as carefully as you do to use run-on sentences, this must really be a big deal._

_N1Detective: More than you know. So after telling him that I didn't remember anything, I asked him to leave so I could get some sleep. When he said he'd see me the next day, I told him not to, and that I just needed some time. He asked me how long; I said I'd call him._

_StoryWeaver: And did you?_

_N1Detective: No. I lied to him again. I ran away for three months to my father's cabin, and the first contact with him I had after that was when I showed up unexpected at an event he was at._

_StoryWeaver: I'm guessing he was angry with you? I know I would be in a situation like that._

_N1Detective: He was. And the thing is? I honestly can't blame him._

_StoryWeaver: Okay, so… Now that you've told me the story, what do you need my advice for?_

_N1Detective: I was just wondering… What would you do in my place?_

_StoryWeaver: Well, I probably wouldn't have got myself shot…_

_N1Detective: Story, this is serious! Please, I really need your advice!_

_StoryWeaver: Do you love him?_

_N1Detective: What?_

_StoryWeaver: This partner of yours. Do you love him?_

_N1Detective: I don't see how that's relevant._

_StoryWeaver: Do you want my advice or not?_

_N1Detective: …_

_StoryWeaver: N1? You still there?_

_N1Detective: Yes. I do love him, Story. He's this really genuine, sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, guy with a wild imagination, an incredible daughter, and this… this absolutely magical way of seeing the good in everything. We have so much fun working together (even though I actually started off hating his guts because he was absolutely insufferable), and whenever I look at him I can see this spark in his sapphire-blue eyes, and I can almost swear I feel my heart skipping a beat. I really do love him. I just… I don't want to lie to him about remembering what he said to me, it's just that the longer it goes on the harder and harder it gets to tell him the truth. I genuinely don't want to drive him away or to make him think that I don't love him, because I do, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone before in my life, and honestly that kind of scares me. He makes my world so much brighter every day, and I really don't know what I'd do without him (and I don't really want to find out either). What should I do?_

_StoryWeaver: Honestly? I think you should tell him._

_N1Detective: You do?_

_StoryWeaver: It sounds like your best option is to come clean about the fact you've been lying to him. Then you tell him exactly what you just told me, and just hope that he's not angry enough that he refuses to listen to you._

_N1Detective: You really think that's the best option?_

_StoryWeaver: He's your partner, right? If you really love the guy, you owe it to him to be honest with him. And look… if that doesn't work out, then I'm always here to talk._

_N1Detective: … Yeah, you're right. I guess I do owe him that much. He's stuck by me through everything that's happened the last couple of years, it's really only fair that I tell him the truth. Thanks, Story, you always know just what to say. Let me know if I can ever repay the favour, alright?_

_StoryWeaver: Actually… There is something I could use your advice on myself._

_N1Detective: Oh?_

_StoryWeaver: Someone close to my partner was brutally murdered almost 12 years ago, and she got hurt because she was looking into it. I promised her that the two of us would look into it together when the time was right, but… ugh, it's really complicated, N1._

_N1Detective: You listened to my problems; I'm listening to yours in return. Talk to me, Story._

_StoryWeaver: It turns out that the murder was in fact part of a huge conspiracy, and my partner's boss turned out to be one of the key players. After killing the man who was sent to kill my partner, and being killed himself in the process, my partner was shot at her boss's funeral the next day. That summer, I was contacted by a man who told me to stop her from looking into the murder again. As long as I did, he had evidence that could keep her safe. I've been secretly looking into the case ever since._

_N1Detective: I see… So you've been doing this behind your partner's back, without her knowledge at all?_

_StoryWeaver: That's correct, yes._

_N1Detective: No regard to how she might feel if you were injured, or even killed, because you were looking into this?_

_StoryWeaver: I can't risk losing her, N1! She means more to me than I could ever begin to explain, and… I just can't risk losing her._

_N1Detective: You love her, don't you?_

_StoryWeaver: I do, N1. I really do. I think I've been in love with her for a long time now; I just refused to admit it to myself because I thought she'd never feel the same way about me._

_N1Detective: You know you're going to have to tell her, right?_

_StoryWeaver: I do, yes._

_N1Detective: Do it soon. Tell her what you told me, how you can't risk losing her, how she means more to you than you could ever explain. And that you're head over heels in love with her._

_StoryWeaver: Agreed. And you need to be sure to tell your partner that you remember. And how you feel about him too, he might be reassured to know that you feel the same way he does._

_N1Detective: Fine. I'll give him a call, ask if he wants to grab a coffee or something, maybe talk for a bit. Then I'll tell him. This is definitely not the kind of thing you want to tell someone over the phone._

_StoryWeaver: Definitely! Hey, good luck. I have to go finish a couple of Chapters before my publisher gets too much more impatient, but I'll talk to you later. Let me know how it goes?_

_N1Detective: Story, you're the best online friend I have. Of course I'll tell you. Now, get writing._

_StoryWeaver: *Fake salutes* As you wish._

_N1Detective: Goofball._

**_N1Detective has signed off._**

**_StoryWeaver has signed off._**

The writer sighed wistfully as he closed the open chat client, re-entering the Word Document he was working on at the time. As his fingers began to tap at the keys, weaving the last few chapters that would bring Nikki and Rook's latest adventure to a close, his mind flashed over one thing that N1Detective had said. He really did have to tell Kate what he'd done…

**~About two hours later~**

Rick hit Ctrl+S a final time, finally satisfied with the ending he'd given the story. Almost as if it had sensed that he was finished, his phone rang quietly beside him on his desk. He grabbed it, checking the caller ID quickly before putting it to his ear, smiling. "Castle"

"Hi, Castle. You're not busy or anything right now, are you?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I just finished writing the latest Heat book. What's up, Beckett?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee. There's some things we need to talk about, and it's easier if we do so in person than over the phone"

Rick smiled slightly at his partner's suggestion. "Sure. Do you want to meet at that coffee shop near your place?"

"I'll see you there".

* * *

**I know it mightn't seem like much so far, and there hasn't been much Caskett yet, but there will be in the next Chapter, I promise.**

**Anyway, Reviews?**


	2. Chapter 2

**So this is for everyone who was looking forward to the second Chapter. I hope it meets your expectations.**

**And thank you all for the Reviews.**

** quick question (Guest) - To be fair, I would imagine none of the things they said in the previous Chapter would have come up in earlier online conversations between the two of them. And all I said in the summary was that they didn't know, not that they wouldn't realize it shortly after their discussion... So much easier to explain if you just read the story.**

_**Disclaimer - Only in my dreams do I own Richard Castle, Kate Beckett, the Castle TV series, or the rights to any merchandise or licensing associated with said series. All rights go to ABC.**_

* * *

He'd been replaying the conversation with _N1Detective_ over and over in his head for at least the past five minutes, and he couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realize who the woman he had been talking to online, and who he had come to consider his best online friend, really was. Broken from his thoughts by a soft, female, voice, he glanced up, just in time to see the brunette detective smile softly at him as she slid into the chair across the table from the writer. "Hey".

"Hi, Castle. You order yet?"

"I did. Just a couple of minutes ago. I took the liberty of ordering your usual for you as well".

"Thanks, Castle. I really appreciate it"

Their drinks arrived just a couple of minutes later, and they sat in silence for the next five minutes, the two of them just quietly savouring their coffee and the simple company of the person sitting opposite them. "So, Kate, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"I thought it was time. I got some good advice from a friend a couple of hours ago, and I wanted to act on it".

"Funnily enough, I got some good advice from a friend as well. But we can discuss that later, once you've said what you want to say".

Kate sighed softly as she took another sip of her coffee, meeting the blue eyes of the writer who sat across from her.

"Rick, there's something you need to know".

Her partner nodded. "Yes?"

Taking a breath in, Kate smiled softly. "I've been seeing a therapist, Dr. Burke, lately. Ever since… well, first I had to see him a couple of times so that I could get cleared to return to work. After that, well, it became a habit of mine to see him at least once a fortnight. He's been helping me to get over my PTSD and move past the nightmares that I've been having lately. And… He's been trying to help me break down the wall I built as well. As well as deal with other side effects".

"Like what, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kate smiled softly. "Like the fact that, ever since I was shot, I feel too broken, too afraid, to tell the most important person in my life the way I feel about him or how much he means to me".

If he hadn't been 100% certain that the woman across from him was his online friend _N1Detective_, who he'd shared a surprisingly deep conversation with only a couple of hours before, he certainly was now. "What are you saying, Kate?"

The detective sighed. "I never wanted to hurt your feelings, or make you feel like your presence in my life doesn't mean anything to me. In fact, it's the exact opposite. You make my life so much better, Castle, in every way. I just… I can't express how much that means to me. I really can't".

"Kate…"

"No, Castle, let me finish. Please".

The writer took a sip of his coffee before settling back in the chair he was sitting in, giving the detective a quick nod. "Sorry. Please, continue".

Kate sighed softly. "There's no easy way to say this, Castle, but… I remember everything that happened the day that I was shot. I can never express to you how sorry I am for not telling you sooner, but I thought it was time you knew the truth. I remember everything that happened, including you telling me that you love me, and you deserve to know that the reason I didn't tell you at first was I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

"That you only said it because you… because we both thought that I was dying. Of how truly, madly, deeply I have fallen in love with you over the past few years, even though I hated your guts at first because of how absolutely insufferable you were. Because… Because you're this famous writer who's a really genuine, sweet, thoughtful, intelligent guy with a wild imagination, amazing family, and this… this indescribably magical way of seeing the good in everything. Whenever I look at you, there's this spark in your eyes and I swear it makes my heart skip a beat. You just… you make my life so much better, so much brighter, and I just don't want to do something stupid and risk losing what we have. I've been trying to work on breaking my walls down so that I can be the kind of woman you deserve. I love you, Castle. I think I have for a while now, it just took me far longer than it should have taken me to realize it".

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Rick. I love you".

Rick smiled softly. "I love you too. I know you remembered, by the way. After all, you told me as much only a couple of hours ago".

Kate nodded. "You're _StoryWeaver_. It took a while for me to realize it, probably longer than it should have".

"And you're _N1Detective_".

The detective nodded. "Yes. Now I believe you have something to tell me too?"

"I've been looking into your mother's case behind your back".

Despite the fact that she already knew what he had been doing, hearing him admit it still sent shivers down her spine. She knew his reasons for doing so had been pure, but she needed to hear him say them anyway. "Why? How could you do that, Rick? You promised me that, when the time came, we would investigate it together".

"Because I love you, Kate. I guess I thought that being able to put your mother's case behind you would help to tear those walls down and enable you to be in the relationship you want to be in. And, like I told you just a couple of hours ago, I can't risk losing you. I already saw you die in the ambulance on the way to the hospital after you were shot. You flat-lined, Kate. For ten of the scariest seconds of my life, your heart stopped beating, and all I could do was curse myself for waiting so long to tell you how I really felt about you and to pray that you were going to pull through. I just… I already thought I lost you once, I can't go through that again" the writer replied softly.

"I flat-lined in the ambulance?"

The detective's voice was soft, almost unbelieving. Rick nodded, giving her a questioning look. "Yeah, you did. Were you not aware of that?"

"I honestly had no idea. No-one ever mentioned it in conversation, I just thought I would have passed out or something, but… God, I can't believe I actually died".

The two of them were silent for a few seconds before Kate sighed. "But you know what?"

Rick glanced up, meeting his partner's hazel eyes. "What?"

"If you look at it a different way, it's not actually that bad. Instead of thinking that I nearly died, think of it as I'm just getting a second chance. A second chance to finally be in the relationship I want to be. A second chance to… I guess, to bring my walls crashing down. To actually live my life. But… I need you to promise me two things".

The writer nodded. "Name them".

"First, stop investigating. I know you had good intentions when you started looking into the case, but I will not risk losing you. Secondly, I want to see what you've got so far".

Seeing him open his mouth to protest, she quickly added "I have no intention of investigating the case unless I absolutely have to, Rick. I just want to see what you've found. That's all".

"Fine. Promise me something in return though?"

"I can certainly try".

"No more secrets. If we're going to do… well, if this relationship between us is going to work out the way I think that we're both hoping it will, we can't go hiding things from each other, or lying to each other for that matter, any more. Do we have a deal?"

Instead of responding, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his for a couple of seconds before she pulled away and smiled at him, her hazel eyes sparkling. "Deal".

* * *

**Just to be clear, this takes place very, very, early fourth season. Maybe just after Kick The Ballistics, definitely before Dial M for Mayor or Cops and Robbers.**

**To clarify - Rick realized that _N1Detective_ was Kate about five minutes before she walked into the coffee shop (after replaying their conversation over and over in his head), Kate figured out Rick was _StoryWeaver_... well, I actually don't have a plan in mind for when she did, but it was some time within the half an hour time frame between Rick leaving his apartment and Kate sitting down in the coffee shop.**

**Also, not exactly happy with the ending, but that's the way my fingers (sometimes I swear they have a mind of their own) seemed to want the scene to play out and I was going to have them kiss to signify... something... either this Chapter or the next so I guess it can stay unchanged. **

**Anyway, I'd love to hear what you all thought, whether it lived up to your expectations for the chapter or not, and thoughts on what you'd like to see happen in the next couple of chapters (it will be more than three Chapters after all, probably around five Chapters and an Epilogue), so please leave a Review!**

**Edit: Whoops, my mistake. Accidentally referred to Rick's online name from the last chapter as 'StoryWriter' instead of 'StoryWeaver'. I've fixed it now though.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's the third Chapter. I really hope you enjoy it.**

**Review responses:**

**Theresa471 - I actually have a lot of them posted here on Fanfiction, though there are a couple that I am currently working on elsewhere. I actually haven't seen much of Season 7 so far (since only the first 8 episodes have actually aired here so far, with the 9th airing in a few days from now).**

**mattaweber - Thanks! **

**TORONTOSUN - I completely agree. I don't really like to write angsty scenes where they stay angry with each other for ages (although I don't mind reading them though, which is strange). And yes, I do plan for them too. Not in the next couple of Chapters though.**

_**Disclaimer - No matter how hard I wish, it ain't going to change the fact I don't own Castle.**_

* * *

"So, what do you know about _LeafOnTheWind_ and the others, Rick? I'm usually too busy to talk unless it's the weekend or I'm not on call, so there's not much I know about them apart from their genders." Kate asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

Rick closed his eyes momentarily, remembering what he had learnt about the other people who he'd seen on the chat site before opening them again. "Let's see… _AFScience's _real name is Adrianna Fields. She's in her mid to late twenties, teaches high school chemistry here in New York, and her students love her. _SeaBorne's_ real name is Ryan Cosgrove; he's a 30-something marine biologist temporarily working at a local aquarium while waiting for the papers he needs to launch one of his projects. He and Adrianna have been dating for three years and got engaged just under a month ago, on their third anniversary as a couple".

Kate nodded, pausing for a second to think over what her boyfriend had just told her before speaking again. "And what about _LeafOnTheWind_?"

"His name is Phillip Stevens, though he prefers Phil. He never did mention his current age, but he's currently a science fiction actor living in San Francisco. He was the captain in that Joss Whedon show a few years ago".

"The one that got cancelled after three months?"

Her boyfriend nodded. "That's the one, yes. It also happens to be where his display name comes from. Apparently it was the catchphrase of one of his fellow cast members whose character was rather brutally killed off in the final episode, and he decided to use it himself once the series was over".

"Fascinating".

The detective drained the last of her coffee before setting the cup down and getting to her feet. "C'mon, _Story._ I want to see what you've found on my mother's case. You did promise to show me, after all…"

The writer sighed, remembering he had indeed promised to show the detective, his girlfriend, what he had found on the case. "Indeed I did. Alright then, _N1_, let's go".

**~About half an hour later~**

Rick tapped the screen of the smart board in his office with one hand, causing the screen to instantly spring to life. Gesturing to the only thing on the screen, which was labelled with the words 'Beckett Conspiracy', he waited for a few seconds to allow his girlfriend to register what she was seeing. "Open it?"

Giving a slight nod, he quickly tapped the folder twice, causing it to open, displaying all of the information that he'd managed to find on the case. "There's a digital copy of everything that we've found on the case, as well as several questions about the case that I've been pondering over myself" he said gently.

"Do you really think it could be a conspiracy, Rick?"

Kate's voice was soft and unusually quiet as she spoke, and her lips barely even moved. She leaned slightly into her boyfriend's embrace, barely even registering as his hand slipped down to grasp hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, barely even noting the fact that she had called him Rick instead of Castle. Given the situation, and their new-found relationship, it seemed rather fitting. "I don't really know what to think, Kate. As far as I can tell, though, it does look as if there is some sort of conspiracy surrounding the case. We have three dirty cops, a dead FBI agent who just so happened to be undercover in the mob at the time of his death, a mobster, currently in prison, who we're pretty sure was framed for the death of said FBI agent and whose case your mother and her colleagues were looking into at the time of their deaths. We also know that there's at least three hitmen/contract killers, including both Hal Lockwood and Dick Coonan, plus whoever shot you at Montgomery's funeral".

The brunette detective nodded, staring thoughtfully at the screen in front of them. "Plus whoever ordered the murders in the first place is still out there, we can't forget that".

Her boyfriend gave her hand a comforting squeeze, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. She smiled up at him, relieved that after everything that they'd been through over the past four years, she was still lucky enough to have him by her side. "And we won't forget. We will find the bastard that had your mother killed, Kate. I promise".

"I know. But like you said, Rick, we need to put the case aside for the time being. I've allowed myself to become buried in her case for far too long. We'll get justice for her when the time is right, I know it. But until then, I do believe that we have other, more pressing, issues to take care of" Kate responded quietly, lifting her head and pressing her lips softly to his.

After a few seconds, she pulled away, sighing softly. "I should go. On the other hand, I don't really want to be away for you any longer than absolutely necessary, so… Since it's Saturday, and we've got the weekend off, do you feel like going to the park together?"

"Why, _N1Detective_, are you asking me to spend the day with you?"

Rick's tone was light as he spoke, and she felt herself grinning at the use of the name she had chosen when she had first signed up to the chat site. "I do believe I am, _StoryWeaver_. So, what do you say? You feel like spending the day with me?"

Rick smiled back at her. "I'd love to".

* * *

**Also, I've kinda decided to do something after every update I do for one of my stories (this started a couple of weeks ago) where I recommend a song or two (they won't be from any specific decade/genre, just ones that I find worth sharing. I've been trying it on another site for a while, and it seemed to work out there, so might as well do the same here.**

**This update's recommendations**

**Take On Me - a-ha**

**Losing My Religion - R.E.M**


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